Teay-cakeier



3. ULSUW.

TRAY CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2|. 191x.

- Pair/eluted Dean 28, WW.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- S. ()LSON.

TRAY CARRIER. Mum/111011 11115011111141.1911.

Patented Dec. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SAMUEL OLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

TRAY-GARNER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, SAMUEL OLSON, a cit zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tray-Carriers, of which the following is a specification, reference be ng had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to a conveyer of the type in which the trays or receptacles for the material to be carried are only temporarily and removably engaged with the belts or chains for propelling them. The invention consists. in various details of construction hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a conveyer embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a typical horizontal section taken above the horizontal conveyer, 6.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of connections for an automatic stop device.

As shown in the drawings this conveyer comprises two mutually opposed and vertically extending belts, each of which consists of a pair of chains, 1, traveling over head sprockets, 2, and foot wheels, 3, and

eo transversely connected by plates, 4:, and

til

angles, 5, the latter being mounted each with one arm, 5, arranged to project horizontally from the vertically-extending portion of the belt.

This conveyer isespecially designed for carrying trays of dishes in a restaurantfrom one floor of the building to another, as in a case where the orders are filled or the dishes are cleaned on a different floor from that at which the service is conducted. If the conveyer is to be used for carrying the loaded trays down from an upper to a lower floor, the chains, 1, will be arranged to travel downward at their mutually adjacent plies so that the trays supported on the angles, 5, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 will be lowered and may be received upon a horizontally-traveling conveyer belt, 6. The

chains, 1, being mounted for travel a short distance below the upper ply of the conveyer belt, 6, will cause the angles, 5, to be withdrawn from supporting position with respect.

. toeach tray as the latter arrives upon said belt, 6.

Each of the plates, 4:, is about ual in vertical extent to the length of two links of Specification 01 Letters Patent. attempted, M 23 ygg jlg Application filed. March 21, 191?.

Serial No. 156,115.

each other approximately at the middle of the intermediate links (to which they are not secured). At convenient intervals the angles, 5, are substituted for plates, a, their portions which are secured to the links being substantially of the same dimensions as said plates, 4:. This construction permits the plates and angles to travel easily around the s rocket wheels, 2 and 3, and to form. practically continuous side walls for the conveyer throughout the vertically-extending portions of the belts, thus forestalling any serious accident in case the dishes or other articles carried on the trays should start toslide ed. A. corresponding back wall is shown at 7, suitably supported on the frame structure, 8, by which other parts of the mechanism are carried;

()n said framing are also mounted guides, 9 and- 10, at the front and rear sides of the conveyer respectively, these guides being shown as formed of vertically-extending angles spaced apart to provide vertical grooves in which the extending ends, 11, of

the plates, 4:, and angles, 5, are engaged to steady them in their vertical travel. In order that the guides, 9, may not obstruct the path of insertion or Withdrawal of the tray which is supported on the angle arms, 5, the extensions or lugs, 11, engaging in the guide grooves, 9, are slightly ofi'set back of the plane of the conveyer side wall formed by plates, 1, and angles, 5, so that the angles by which said guide grooves are formed need not project beyond said plane. This insures a free path for the tray when it is lowered upon the conveyer belt, 6, and moved horizontally thereby away from the vertical conveyer.

For steadying the chains, 1, at their outer plies the frame work, 8, may be provided with single guide rails such as angles, 12, positioned to limit the outward lateral movement of the chains, 1, by engaging projec- Fig. QLshoWs a drive shaft, 13, carrying a drum, 14, for the belt, 6, and connected through bevel gears, -15 and 16, with the foot wheels, 3, by which the chains, 1, are driven.

When the cl1a.ins,'1, are employedfforelevating instead of lowering the trays or other receptacles carried by them, it is desirable to provide some means for automatically stopping said chains when a receptacle reaches the safe upper limit of travel, so as to preclude the possibility of the angle arms, 5, being withdrawn from supporting position with respect to the tray or receptacle by being permitted to travel around their respective head wheels, 2. Fig. 3 represents a comparatively simple arrangement for this purpose in which a control arm, 17, normally extends horizontally over the vertical path of travel of the trays or receptacles and near a pre-determined upper limit for such travel. Such arm, 17, is pivoted or hinged for folding upwardly so that as the tray and its contents collides in its upward travel with the arm, 17, the latter will be lifted about its pivot or fulcrum through a definite angle, and, if preferred, to vertical position, thereby rotating the rock shaft, 18, at Its hinge axis. Said rock shaft may be connected in any convenient maimer, as by a crank arm, 19, and link rod, 20, with a control switch, 21, associated with the electric motor, 22, which drives the chains, 1, so that upon the raising of the arm, 17, by the upward travel of the tray, as described, said control switch, 21, is opened to break the circuit, causing the motor, 22, to stop. Upon removal of the tray manuallyor otherwise, the arm, 17, may be returned by gravity or by a spring, 23, on its rock shaft, 18, to its former horizontally-extending position, but preferably such return of the arm, 17, will not cause closing of the motor circuit, it bleingdesirable that this shall only be effected manually at will.

I claim 1. A tray carrier comprising two vertical traveling belts provided with horizontally extending angle rails, each having one arm secured to its belt and the other arm pro- 'jecting toward the opposite, belt to support one end of a tray carried between the two belts,,the arms of said angles which are secured to the belts being extended horizontally beyond the tray supporting arms, and vertical guide-ways engaging such extended end portions of the rails.

2. In the structure set out in 'claim 1, the guide-Ways at one side of the belts being spaced apart by a distance greater than that between the arms of the angle rail which are secured to the respective belts and the end portions of said arms at that side of the belts being offset to engage said guideways.

3. A tray carrier comprising two pairs of vertically traveling chains mounted for parallel travel and tray supports comprising angle rails horizontally connecting the chains of each pair, and each having one arm extending in the direction of the chains and secured thereto with the other arm projecting horizontally therefrom during vertical travel of said chains, the arm of the angle which is connected to the chains extending over a plurality of links but being secured only to a single link of each chain, said arms constituting guard walls for the material carried on trays supported by the other arms of said angles.

4. The combination of two verticallytravel'ing belts, provided with angle rails each secured to extend in horizontal position with one arm in the plane of the belt and the other arm extending horizontally therefrom toward the opposite belt; trays removably carried by lodgment of their end portions upon oppositely disposed rails of the two belts respectively, and removable by horizontal travel; and plates on each belt interposed between successive angle rails to fOlfil therewith a substantially continuous wa 5. The combination of two vertically-traveling belts, each composed of a pair of chains mounted for parallel travel; angle rails horizontally connecting the chains of each pair, said angles disposed with one arm extending in the direction of the chains and the other arm projecting. horizontally therefrom at the vertical plies of said chains; trays removably carried on oppositely disposed angles of the two belts respectively at their mutually opposed faces; the arm of each angle connected to the chains being approximately equal to two links in extent, but secured to a single link of each chain, and plates interposed between successive angles and substantially equal in extent to said arms of the angles, said plates bein secured only to alternate links of each main to form a substantially continuous Wall thereon.

6. A tray carrier comprising a pair of vertically traveling belts running parallel to each other and each including transversely disposed members with extending end portions, vertical guide-ways engaging such extended end portions, and parts on each belt projecting horizontally from said transverse members toward the other belt in substantially horizontal registration with each other for supporting trays to be carried on said parts between the two belts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 19" day 

